Signature opening and depositing mechanism



May 9, 1950 Filed June 6, 1946 A. A. SPISAK 2,507,281

SIGNATURE OPENING AND DEPOSITING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

HNDR'EW FLEPISHK BY I 1%, zzwm wmm H'r-rnR NEyS May 9, 1950 A. A. SPISAK 2,507,281

SIGNATURE OPENING AND DEPOSITING MECHANISM Filed June 6, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

H NDREW FL SPISHK BY B 3 W, #MZBWM 2%? FIT-runways May 9, 1950 A. A. SPISAK SIGNATURE OPENING AND DEPOSITING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 6, 1 946 INVENTOR. FiNnREw F1. SPISFIK BY y 1950 A. A. SPISAK 2,507,281

SIGNATURE OPENING AND DEPOSITING MECHANISM Filed June 6, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Y HNDREW F1. EPIEHK Emma' Patented May 9, 1950 SIGNATURE OPENING AND DEPOSITING MECHANISM Andrew A. Spisak, Cleveland, Ohio, assignorto The Warner &.Swasey Company,

Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 6, 1946, Serial No. 674,797

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a signature collator and particularly to the signature opening and depositing mechanism of a signature collator for signatures coming from the signature feeding, transferring and conveying mechanism of the collator. The signature opening and depositing mechanism is adapted to open and deposit the signatures on a signature collating saddle conveyor.

In signature collators heretofore the signatures are opened a substantial distance above the collating saddle conveyor and are released in a position wherein the signatures must move downwardly by gravity onto the saddle conveyor. This means that the released signatures in moving down by gravity onto the saddle conveyor frequently do so with a fluttering action, with the result that the signatures many times are not properly positioned on the saddle conveyor. Furthermore the signatures should be deposited on the saddle conveyor at accurate, predetermined time intervals correlated to the speed of operation of the rest of the machine. Where the signatures move down by gravity onto the saddle conveyor the fluttering action of the signatures may cause the signatures to be deposited on the saddle conveyor more slowly than the signatures are extracted from the supply hopper, transferred and conveyed to the opening means, with the result that the signatures will not be deposited on the saddle conveyor in the proper manner. Also under such circumstances the signatures will not be deposited on the saddle conveyor as fast as they could ferred and conveyed to the opening means and it frequently is necessary to slow down the operation of the transferring and conveying mechanism in order to obtain the proper depositing of the signatures on the saddle conveyor.

An object of the invention is to provide a signature opening and depositing mechanism which causes the signatures to be positively and without fluttering deposited. on the saddle conveyor and thus the efilciency of collating the signatures is greatly improved.

Another object is to provide an improved signature opening and depositing mechanism whereby the signatures are positively deposited on the saddle conveyor, thus enabling the signatures to be collated at greater speed.

A further object is to provide a signature opening and depositing mechanism wherein the signatures are positively deposited on the saddle conveyor and at a rate which can equal the maximum rate of signature extraction,

be trans-- transfer and conveyance in the mechanism with whichthe opening and depositing mechanism is employed.

A still further object of the invention to provide a signature opening and depositing mechanism wherein the signatures are positively opened and are positively gripped and moved in a downward direction to the saddle conveyor and are not released until they have been deposited on the saddle conveyorin accurate predetermined position and at definite predetermined time intervals. I, H

A more detailed object is, to provide a signature opening and depositing mechanism which embodies opening rolls for initiating the positive opening of the signatures and lowering and opening chains which complete the opening of the signatures while lowering the latter positively to thecollating saddleconveyor and which rolls and chains are positively driven so as to have the same peripheral and linear speeds, respectively, and preferably are driven by an operative connection with the main drive shaft of the signature feeding and transferring mechanism with which the opening and depositing mechanism' is employed.

A further object is to provide a signature opening and depositing mechanism wherein endless chains arranged in an inverted V are used in combination with opening rolls and which chains are provided with grippers that positively grip the signatures after they have been partially opened by the rolls and retain their grip on the signatures during the downward movement thereof to complete the opening of the signatures and to cause the signatures to be positively deposited on the signature collator, whereupon the grippers release the signatures.

Further and additional objects and advantages not hereinb-efor'e specified will become apparent during the detailed description of an embodiment of the invention which is to follow.

Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating said" embodiment;

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a signature collator, particularly the transferring, opening and depositing mechanism thereof, and showing diagrammatically the drive from the main drive shaft of the mechanism to the opening rolls and to the lowering or depositing chains.

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section and partly inplan, of the signature opening anddepositin'g mechanism embodying the invention, the plan portion being taken substantially from line 3 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, while the sectional portion is taken substantially along irregular line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and shows the opening rolls in end elevation.

Fig. 3a is a detached sectional view taken on line 3a3a of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the opening and depositing mechanism taken substantially along irregular line 44 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the relationship of the lowering and depositing chains with respect to the opening rolls and to the collating saddle conveyor, said figure also illustrating the relationship of a portion of the signature transferring and conveying mechanism to the opening rolls.

Fig. 5 illustrates on an enlarged scale the opening rolls and the manner in which the gate is operated in timed relationship to said rolls, said gate controlling the feeding of the signature to the openin rolls.

Fig. 6 is a. view, partly in section and partly in elevation, looking from line 55 of Fig. 4

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing a signature at rest against the closed gate prior to being fed to the opening rolls and also indicates the relationship at this time of the grippers carried by the opening rolls and the lowering and depositing chains.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the signature being fed to the opening rolls after the gate has opened and with the gripper on one of the rolls gripping the long open end of th signature.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the position of the signature after it has been moved outwardly of the gate by the gripping action on its long open end and into a position where the gripper on the other roll has just gripped its short open end.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view showing a signature when the grippers on the lowering or depositing chains grip both open ends of the signature and the grippers on the opening rolls simultaneously have released said open ends, and

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view showing the signature positively lowered and deposited on the collating saddle conveyor and at which time the grippers 0n the chains release the signature.

The signature opening and depositing mechanism embodying the invention is illustrated herein as employed in combination with the signature feeding and transferring mechanism illustrated and described in the copending appli cation of Earl H. Bechberger, Serial No. 674,754, filed June 6, 1946. It will be understood, how ever, that the signature opening and depositing mechanism of the present invention can be employed in conjunction with other types of signature feeding and transfer-ring mechanisms.

Referring to Fig. 1, an end plate of the machine is indicated at 20 While 2| is the main drive shaft thereof that is rotatably supported in suitable bearings carried by the machine frame and is driven by any suitable power source at a predetermined speed. As described in said Bechberger application Serial No. 674,754, the drive shaft 2| has fixed thereto a gear 22 which meshes with gear 23, in turn, meshing with a large gear 24 freely rotatable on the rotatable shaft 25 that also carries the signature transferring drum. The central gear 24 meshes with a gear 26 which in turn meshes with a gear 21 that is fixed to a hollow shaft 28 later to be referred to in greater detail.

The gear 2'! meshes with a gear 29 also fixed to a hollow shaft which is parallel to and is located in the same horizontal plane as the shaft 28. The gears 27 and 29 drive the shafts 28 and 30 and on which shafts are fixed the pairs of opening rolls 3| and 32 as will later become more apparent. It will thus be seen that the pairs of opening rolls 3| and 32 are positively driven from the main drive shaft and in timed relation to the transfer drum and the other mechanism of the machine. The main drive shaft 2| has fixed thereto a sprocket 33 around which extends an endless chain 34 which drives a sprocket 35 mounted on a shaft 36. The shaft 35 has fixed thereto a gear 3'! and also a pair of axially spaced sprockets 38. The gear 31 meshes with a gear 39 mounted on a shaft 39a which carries a sprocket 48. It will be noted that the gear 39 will be driven by the gear 3! but in the opposite direction, hence the sprocket 40 will drive the chain 4| and the sprocket 42 fixed on a shaft 42a. The shaft 42a also carries a sprocket 43 which drives a chain 44 that in turn drives a sprocket 45 fixed to a shaft 45. The shaft 46 has fixed thereto a pair of axially spaced sprockets 41. The pair of sprockets 38 on the shaft 36 and the pair of sprockets 47 on the shaft 46 drive the pairs of lowering and depositing chains 48 and 49 and which extend upwardly and around pairs of sprockets 50 and 5| freely rotatable on the hollow shafts 28 and 30, see Figs. 2 and 4. It will be noted that the opening rolls 3| and 32 rotate with the shafts 28 and 313 while the sprockets 5a and 5| are freely rotatable on said shafts 28 and 30 and are driven by independent drives. The pairs of sprockets 50 and 5| rotate at a faster speed than the pairs of opening rolls 3| and 32 in order to have the peripheral speed of the opening rolls and the linear speed of the chains 48 and 49 equal to each other for a reason later to be explained.

The opening rolls 3| and 32 are so located with respect to the gate 52 that when the gate opens to allow a signature to pass outwardly thereof such signature moves to a position wherein the grippers on the rolls can grip the open edges of the signature. It will also be noted that the pairs of chains 48 and 49 are arranged in an inverted V and are in position to have the grippers carried by the respective pairs of chains grip the open sides of the signature as the grippers on the rolls release such edges and positively move the signature downwardly while completing the opening thereof until the opened signature is positively positioned on the saddle collating conveyor 53', whereupon the chain grippers release their grip on the signature. The saddle type conveyor 53 need not be described in detail since its construction is well known and it will be understood that said conveyor extends horizontally through a plurality of longitudinally spaced units having pairs of opening chains which function to open and deposit and collate on the conveyor the signatures coming from different units.

The end plates 20 in this instance support four stationary rods or bars 54 which are located within the chains 48 and 49 and extend longitudinally of the machine, see Figs. 1, 4 and 6. Within each of the chains 48 and 49 is located a plate 55 which is provided with bosses interfitting the rods 54 and fixedly secured thereto. The plates 55 act as guides for the chains 48 and 49, the inner sides of the links of which ride on the longitudinal edges of the plates. It will be understood that suitable means may be carried by the plates or by other portions of the machine for maintaining the chains taut as is well known in the art. The plates 55 also provide rigid stationary attaching surfaces to which portions of certain cams, later to be referred to, can be secured.

The hollow shafts 2E and 30 extend through openings in the stationary brackets 56 and which brackets are provided with passages 51 terminating in arcuate grooves 58 of predetermined length, as will later be further explained, and located on one side of the brackets 56. The sh'afts 28 and 30 have keyed thereto valve disks 59' which contact said one side of the brackets 55 and in which side the grooves 5 8 are formed. The disks 59 are provided with radially extending passages 5t that register with openings in the hollow shafts 28 and 3B and hence said passages are in communication with the interior or" the shafts. The passages B8 are connected with lateral passages 6| which register during a portion of the rotation of the disks with the arcuate grooves 58 and at such time the interiors of the shafts Z8 and 353 are in communication with the passages 51. The shafts 28 and 30 have their ends closed to form hollow manifold chambers within the shafts, wherefore whenever the passages 51 are connected to a suitable suction means, as will later be mentioned, the interiors of the shafts will be subject to suetion each time that the lateral passages 8| are in registry with the arcuate grooves 58.

As already explained, the pairs of rolls 3i and 32 are keyed to the shafts 2B and 38 with the rolls of each pair. spaced axially from each other to accommodate a wide signature and also to provide intermediate the rolls of each pair space for the chains as and 49. The shafts 2B and each mount a pair of stationary cams 62, with the. cams of each pair located outwardly of the outer ends of the respective pair of rolls. cams 62 (see Fig. 3a), are held stationary by means of extensions 63 carrying hubs mounted on and secured to the two upper rods or bars 5.4, see Fig. 6, wherefore the shafts 28 and 39 rotate within the stationary cams. and relative thereto.

Each roll 31- and 32 rookably mounts a shaft 64 extending in an axial direction and having fixed. to one of its ends an arm 65 which carries a roller 5'6 that rides on the periphery of a cam 52 as the opening roll rotates, wherefore the arm and the shaft 64 will be rocked during the rotation of the opening roll. The shaft 64 also has fixed thereto a gear segment 6'! which meshes with a pinion 58 fixed on a second axially extending shaft 89 carried by the opening roll. The shafts 69 carried by opening rolls 3| have fixed thereto a pair of gripper arms III, with one gripper arm located adjacent the pinion 68 and the other adjacent the remote end of the shafts 69.- Each gripper arm ID- has fixed thereto a gripper 'H which when the arm is rocked in one direction moves from an open or non-gripping position to a signature gripping or closed position as will be understood. The shafts 69 carried by the opening rolls 32 have fixed thereto intermediate the ends of the shaft a single gripper arm 'ldprovided with a gripper 7|. It will be noted that the rolls 3| and 32 are so keyed to the shafts 28 and 3!! that the grippers 7| on the-rolls 3| will grip the long open edge of the signatures in advance of the gripping of the short open edge thereof by the grippers H on the rolls 32 for a reason which-will later be explained. A supporting bracket 12 is pivotally The mounted on each opening. roll 3| and .32 and forms :an abutment for one end of .a-c'ompression spring 13 which surrounds a rod 14 and has its opposite end abutting a washer and lock nut 15 on the end of the rod. The rod 14 extends through an opening in the bracket 72 and .is' pivotally connected at its end'to the gear segment 61.

It will be noted that when the roller 66 of the opening roll 3| of Fig. 3 is contacting the "high point of the cam 62 :the arm 6.5 has been rocked in :a clockwise direction to move the gripper H in an anticlockwise direction to open the same and at this time the spring 13 is compressed. When the roller t6 approaches the low point of the cam 62 the previously compressed spring 13 acts to rock the gear segment 61 in a counterclockwise direction, with a resultant clockwise movement of the gripper H to closed or gripping position, wherein the spring maintains the gripper in said position and positively engaged with a signature contacting the opening roll.

It will be understood that the gripper construction and the actuating mechanism carried by each of the opening rolls are identical and that the parts of the grippers and of the actuating. mechanism carried by rolls 3| function in the reverse direction as do the corresponding elements carried by the rolls 32.

As will later be explained, the pair of grippers carried by each roll 31 will grip the long open edge of the signature prior to the single grip per carried by each roll '32 gripping the shorter open edge of the signature. Inasmuch as the signature is initially moved through the open gate 52 by the grippers on the rolls 3|, .two such grippers are provided on each of these rolls as already stated.

The rolls 3| are also provided with three suc tion cups E6 spaced axially of the .rolls and con-- nected with the interior of the shaft 28 by radial passages ll. Each of the rolls 32 is provided with two circumferentially spaced suction cups 18 connected by radial passages 19 with the interior of the shaft 36. The suction cups 16 and 78 are provided in case the mechanism is employed for opening signatures the sides of which are of equal length and theopen edges thereof in regis tration, since as will be obvious the grippers" could not be employed at such time. A suitable valve (not shown) may be provided for suction passage 5'! to control the employment of suction.

When the suction cups are employed it will be understood that the passages 51 are constantly subject to the action of a suction means so that during the time that the lateral passages 6| are in registry with the arcuate grooves 58 the in teriors of the shafts 28 and 30 are subject to suction and the suction cups are effective to grip theopposing sides of the signature. Therefore in this situation the suction cups I6 and ill will function in place of the grippers H to grip the opposite sides of the signature and initiate the opening movement thereof.

Intermediate the hubs of the sprockets of the pair of sprockets 50 and the pair of sprockets 5| which are freely rotatable on the shafts 2B and 36, there are mounted on the shafts stationary collars 8%, see Figs. 2 and. 6, having an arm 8| which extends downwardly and is secured to the fixed guide plate 55 by suitable means such as screws $2. The collars 80 have secured thereto by screws 83 cams 84 and it will be seen that the collars 86 and cams 84 are held against ro-' tation by'the arms 8| secured to the plates 55'.

Intermediate the chains 48 and 49 of each pair of chains is located a plate 85, see Fig. 6, provided with a hub interfitting the shaft 36 or the shaft 46, as the case may be, and with a hub vinterfitting and secured to the fixed rod or bar- 54. The plate 85 has secured thereto a cam 86 provided in its upper edge with a recess which straddles the bar or rod 54, see Fig. 4. It will :be seen that the cam 86 and plate 85 are held rigidly in position by the bar 54.

Each pair of chains 48 and 49 carries two gripper mechanisms located intermediate the chains of each pair and spaced apart lengthwise of the chains. Each gripper mechanism comprises a carrier or support 8'! which may be of rectangular configuration or U-shape and is located intermediate the chains 50 and the chains 49, as the case may be, and is secured to the pivot of the links thereof, wherefore the carrier or support travels with the chains and without any interference to the travel of the chains around the sprockets. The carrier or support mounts a bearing pin that extends between the inner sides of the long arms of the carrier and on said pin is a rockable sleeve which carries an arm 88 provided at its free end with a roller 89. The sleeve also carries a gripper 90. The sleeve is provided with an ear 9| which has pivoted thereto a rod 92 that extends through a guide lug formed on the carrier 81 and near the ear 9|. The rod 92 has on its end a lock nut and a coil compression spring 93 is mounted on the rod 92 between the lug and the lock nut, wherefore when the sleeve is rocked in one direction, i. e., a gripper opening direction, the spring 93 is compressed and said spring then tends to rock the sleeve and the gripper in gripper closing direction.

It will be seen that as the pairs of chains 48 and 49 travel around their sprockets the rollers 89 on the arms 83 engage the cams 84 and rock said arms, sleeves and grippers against the action of the spring 93 to open or non-gripping position. The rollers 89 travel around the periphery of the cams 84 until they have reached the points 84a of the cams, whereupon the cams permit the arms, sleeve and grippers to be rocked in the opposite direction by the action of the springs 93 until the grippers are in closed or signature gripping position. The grippers remain in such position during their downward travel with the chains until the rollers 89 contact the periphery of the cam 86, whereupon the arms, sleeves and grippers are rocked in the opening or releasing direction and the springs 93 are compressed. This condition continues until the rollers reach the point 86a of the cams and during the upward movement of the rollers with the chains. At this time the cams 88 permit the arms, sleeves and grippers to rock to closed position under the action of the springs 93 and the grippers remain closed during their idle upward movement with the chains until the rollers 89 again contact the cams 84.

The sha t 28 has fixed thereto a cam 9 the periphery of which rotates in contact with a roller 95 mounted on the free end of a lever arm 6 99 that is rockably mounted on a stub shaft 97. The sieeve portion of the lever arm 36 is provided with a gear segment 93 that meshes with a gear segment 99 fixed to a rockable shaft me on which is secured the gate 52. A suitable spring means, not shown, such as a rat trap spring on the shaft I09 tends to rock said shaft in a counterclockwise direction to maintain the gate 52 closed.

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen that when the gate 52 is closed the cutaway portion 3 Ia of the rolls 3| provides clearance for the lower end of the gate. When the end of the cutaway portion is adjacent to the gate the cam 94 rocks the arm 96 in a counterclockwise direction against the action of the spring means and from the full line position to the dot and dash line position of Fig. 5, whereupon the gate 52 is rocked from its closed full line position to its open dot and dash line position. At this time the signature on the conveyor support |f|| and which has been brought to a stop by the gate is free to be moved outwardly beyond the gate under the action of the conveyor means, as explained in said Bechberger application, Serial No. 674,754. The short side of the signature in its outward movement is guided by the guide plate I02, while the open edge of the long side of the signature is immediately gripped by the grippers on the rolls 3|, as will be more fully explained in the description of the operation of the mechanism now to be set forth.

Assuming that the signature feeding and transferring mechanism with Which the signature opening and depositing mechanism of the invention is being used is operating and the pairs of chains 48 and 49 and the pairs of opening rolls 3| and 32 are being driven from the main shaft 2| and that a transferred signature is on the conveyor support |0| and is momentarily stopped against the gate 52 and is being squared by the urging action of the conveyor belt, then the grippers H on the rolls 3| and 32 and the grippers on the chains 48 and 49 are in the relationship shown in Fig. 7, at which time all of the grippers are in open or non-gripping condition. At this time the cam 94 on the shaft 28 rocks arm 96 and moves the gate 52 from the closed position of Fig. '7 to the open position of Fig. 8. As the gate opens the belt of the conveying means moves the signature forwardly through the open gate. At this time the grippers II on the rolls 3| close and grip the open edge of the long side of the signature and as the rolls rotate the signature is pulled through the gate with the long side of the signature conforming to the periphery of the rolls 3| while the short side of the signature tends to move in a straight line but is guided by the guide plate I02 to bring the edge of said short side into engagement with the periphery of the rolls 32, that is, the signature moves from the position indicated in Fig. 8 to the position indicated in Fig. 9 and at such latter time the grippers 1| on the rolls 32 close and grip the open edge of the short side of the signature.

It will be recalled that the grippers on the rolls 3| and 32 are displaced with respect to each other circumferentially of the rolls so that the grippers on the rolls 3| function first for the long side of the signature, followed by a latter functioning of the grippers on the rolls 32 for the short side. The grippers 1| on the rolls 3| and 32 now positively grip both open edges of the signature, the rotation of the rolls positively completes the withdrawal of the signature through the gate and positively spreads or opens the open edges of the signature from the position shown in Fig. 9 to the position shown in Fig. 10. At this time the open edges of the signatures are just about to be gripped by the grippers 90 on the chains 48 and 49 when the edges of the long and short sides of the signatures reach the proper positions. The grippers 93 are permitted to close under the action of the springs 93, since the rollers 89 on the arms 88 pass off of the periphcries of the cams 84. After the grippers 90 have gripped the open edges oi-the signature the'grippers II on the rolls 3! and 32 are immediately rocked to open or non-gripping position by the came 62 and thus said grippers H release the edges of the signature which have been gripped by the grippers so.

It will be recalled that the opening rolls 3! and 3.2 and the gripper chains 48 and 49 are driven from the main drive shaft 2| by independent drives and that the linear speed of the chains is equal to the peripheral speed of the rolls and hence when the edges or" the signature have been gripped by the grippers at of the chains and the grippers 'H' of the opening rolls have released the signature, the chains will continue the positive downward and opening movement of the signature at the same rate as was effected by the rolls.

The grippers 90 of the chains i and 49 continue to grip the edge of the signature as the grippers move downwardly with the chains and thus positively complete the opening and lowering movement of the signature until it is positively deposited on the saddle conveyor 53 as indicated in Fig. 11, at which time the grippers 90 are opened by the engagement of the rollers 89 on the arms 88 with the cam 86, whereupon the signature now positioned on the saddle is released. and is moved longitudinally by the saddle conveyor 53. At the time that the signature is released in deposited condition on the conveyor the grippers ii on the rolls 3! have again reached the position of Fig. 7 while the second group of grippers on the chains it and 45 are now located in the position where the first group of chain grippers were in Fig. '7.

It will be noted that the rolls 3i and 32 are each provided with one gripper only while each pair of chains 58 and Ali is provided with two grippers spaced linearly of the chain. The position of the two grippers on each pair of chains is such that either gripper will have the same relationship to the grippers on the rolls each time that the gate 52 is opened the cam 86. It will be understood that when the first signature is deposited on the saddle conveyor 53 and released a succeeding transferred signature is bearing against the gate 52 and will be positively gripped, opened, lowered and deposited from the position shown in Fig. '7' through the various positions of Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 as just aboveexplained. It will be understood that the saddle conveyor 53 moves longitudinally in timed relation to the rest of the mechanism nd will receive the successive signatures as they are positively deposited thereon by the mechanism embodying. the invention, all as is well'understood in the art.

From the. foregoing it will be noted that the signature is positively withdrawn through the open gate, is positively opened, positively lowered and positively deposited on the-saddle conveyor and that hence the signature is handled efficiently and there is no time during which the signature descends by gravity and is subject. to fluttering or other disadvantageous conditions. Due to the fact. that the signature is always positively gripped until it is deposited on the. saddle conveyor, the opening, lowering and depositing of the signature can be carried out speedily and the movement of the signature is positively correlated to the speed of operation of the balanceof the mechanism.

Assuming that the transfer mechanism with which the opening and lowering mechanism is.

employed is functioning to transfer signatures having sides of equal length, then the grippers 1| on the opening rolls 3! and 32 are rendered inactive and the suction cups 16 of the rolls 3| and the suction cups 18 and 19 of the rolls 32 are employed in place of the grippers. Under such circumstances the passages 51 are connected to suitable suction means so that during the time the lateral passages SI of the valve disks are in registry with the arcuate grooves 58 the interiors of the shafts 2s and 30 will be subject to the suction and the suction cups will be efiective. Assuming that a signature having sides of even length has been transferred and is bearing momentarily against the gate 52 and the mechanism is functioning and that the gate has been opened by the cam. 9d the three suction cups 16 on the opening rolls 3 i function as soon as the. signature hasmoved slightly out of the gate under the action. of; the belt to grip-one side of the signature by suction and positively move the signature outwardly through the gate, the other side of the signature tending to stay straight but engaging the guide plate Hi2 and being deflected thereby toward the periphery of the rolls 32. Assoon as said other side of the signature hasengaged the periphery of the rolls sz'the suction cups 19 and is successively grip said other side of .the signature by suction and the continued rotation of the rolls 3! and 32' completes the movement of the signature through the gate and starts the opening of the signature. The rolls continue the downward and opening movement of the signature until-the edge gripped by the suction cups 16 is in position to be engaged by the grippers QB on the chains 48 and until the other edge of the signature is in position to be engaged by the grippers on thechains 49. At these times the grippers 90' on the chains 43 close and the suction in the cups 16 is released and then the grippers 90 on the chains 49 close and the suction on the cups I8 and i9 is released, after which the chain grippers continue the downward and opening movement of the signature until the Signature, is positively deposited on the saddle conveyor 53, whereupon the chain grippers release the signature.

The expression saddle conveyor as used herein means any type of saddleand cooperating conveyor, as well known inthe art, and including that type consisting of a fixed saddle and a conveyor cooperating therewith and moving relative thereto. The saddle conveyor forms no part of the present invention.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein it will be'understood'that the invention is sus ceptible of various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In a signature opening and saddle depositing mechanism unit of a signature collator; oppositely movable signature opening members located to receive therebetween the open edges of signatures coming from the transfer mechanism of the collator and adapted to partially open said signatures, endless conveying means operatively associated with said members and arranged in an inverted V and extending downwardly from.

said members on each side of and below a saddle conveyor, said conveying means being provided with means adapted to hold against said conveying means the edges of. the partially opened signatures and to maintain the hold thereon to positively move. the signatures downwardly to complete the opening thereof and positively bring the open signatures into deposited engagement with the saddle conveyor and then release the deposited signatures, means for moving said members and conveying means, and means actuated in timed relation to the movement of said conveying means for effecting the aforesaid operations of said holding means.

2. In a signature opening and saddle depositing mechanism unit of a signature collator; oppositely movable signature opening members located to receive therebetween the open edges of signatures coming from the transfer mechanism of the collator and adapted to partially open said signatures, endless moving chains arranged in an inverted V and extending downwardly from said members on each side of and below a saddle conveyor, said chains beingprovided with grippers adapted to grip the edges of the partially opened signatures and to maintain their grip thereon to positively move the signatures downwardly complete the opening thereof and positively bring the open signatures into deposited engagement with the saddle conveyor and then release the deposited signatures, means for moving said members and said chains, and means actuated in timed relation to the movement of said chains for effecting the aforesaid operation of said grippers.

3. In a signature opening and saddle depositing mechanism unit of a signature collator; oppositely movable signature opening members 1ocated to receive therebetween the open edges of signatures coming from the transfer mechanism of the collator, said members being provided with means to hold the open edges of the signatures thereagainst and to pull the signatures positively between the members to partly open the same and then to release said edges, endless conveying means arranged in an inverted V and extending downwardly from said members on each side of and below a saddle conveyor, said conveying means being provided with means adapted to hold against said conveying means the edges of the signatures partially open by said members and to maintain the hold thereon to positively move the signatures to complete the opening thereof and positively bring the open signatures into deposited engagement with the saddle conveyor and then release the deposited signatures, means for moving said members and conveying means, and means actuated in timed relationship to the movement of said members and conveying means for effecting the aforesaid operations of all of said holding means.

4. In a signature opening and saddle depositing mechanism unit of a signature collator; oppositely movable signature opening members located to receive therebetween the open edges of signatures coming from the transfer mechanism of the collator, said members being provided with means acting to grip the open edges of the signatures and to pull the signatures positively between the members and to partly open the same and then to release said edges, endless conveying means arranged in an inverted V and extending downwardly from said members on each side of and below a saddle conveyor, said conveying means being provided with grippers adapted to grip the edges of the signatures partially opened by said members and to maintain their grip thereon to positively move the signatures to complete the opening thereof and positively bring the opened signatures into deposited engagement with the saddle conveyor and then release the deposited signatures, means for moving said members and said conveying means in timed relationship, and means acting in timed relation to the movements of said members and said conveying means for efiecting the aforesaid operations of said means on said members and of said grippers on said conveying means.

5. In a signature opening and saddle depositing mechanism unit of a signature collator; oppositely movable signature opening members located to receive therebetween the open edges of signatures coming from the transfer mechanism of the collator, said members being provided with means acting to grip the open edges of the signatures and to pull the signatures positively between the members to partly open the same and then to release said edges, endless conveying means arranged in an inverted V and extending downwardly from said members on each side of and below a saddle conveyor, said conveying means being provided with grippers adapted to grip the edges of the partially opened signatures just prior to their release by said means on said members and to maintain their grip thereon to positively move the signatures downwardly to complete the opening thereof and positively bring the open signatures into deposited engagement with the saddle conveyor and then release the deposited signatures, means for moving said members and said conveying means, and means acting in timed relation to the movements of said members and said conveying means for effecting the aforesaid operations of said means on said members and of said grippers on said conveying means.

6. In a signature opening and saddle depositing mechanism unit of a signature collator, oppositely movable signature opening members located to receive therebetween the open edges of signatures coming from the transfer mechanism of the collator, said members being provided with grippers acting to grip the open edges of the signatures and to pull the same positively between the members to partly open the same and then to release said edges, endless chains arranged in an inverted V and extending downwardly from said members on each side of and below a saddle conveyor, said chains being provided with grippers adapted to grip the edges of the partially opened signatures substantially at the time said edges are released by the grippers on said members and to maintain their grip thereon to positively move the signatures to complete the opening thereof and positively bring the open signatures into deposited engagement with the saddle conveyor and then release the deposited signatures, means for moving said members and said chains, and means actuated in timed relation to the movements of said members and said chains for efiecting the aforesaid operations of said grippers.

7. In a signature opening and saddle depositing mechanism unit of a signature collator, oppositely movable signature opening members located to receive therebetween the open edges of signatures coming from the transfer mechanism of the collator, said members being provided with means acting to grip the open edges of the signatures and to pull the signatures positively between the members to partly open the same and then to release said edges, endless conveying means arranged in an inverted V and extending downwardly from said members on each side of and below a saddle conveyor, said conveying means being provided with means adapted to grip the edges of the partially opened signatures and to ing mechanism unit of a signature collator; op-

positely rotating signature opening rolls located to receive the-rebetween the open edges of signatures coming from the transfer mechanism of the collator, said rolls being provided with means acting to grip the open edges of the signatures to pull the signatures positively between the rolls to partly open the same, endless conveying means arranged in an inverted V and extending downwardly from said rolls on each side of and below a saddle conveyor, said conveying means being provided with means adapted to grip the edges of the partially opened signatures and to maintain their grip thereon to positively move the signatures to complete the opening thereof and positively bring the opened signatures into deposited engagement with the saddle conveyor and then release the deposited signatures, a power source, separate drive trains from said power source to said rolls and to said conveying means for rotating the rolls with the same peripheral speed as the linear speed of said conveying means, and means actuated in timed relation to the rotation of said rolls and the movement on said conveying means for effecting the aforesaid operations of said gripping means.

9. In a signature opening and saddle depositing mechanism unit of a signature collator, ppositely movable signature opening members located to receive therebetween the open edges of signatures coming from the transfer mechanism of the collator, said members being provided with suction means acting to grip the open edges of the signatures and to pull the signatures positively between the members to partly open the same and then to release said edges, means controlling said suction means in timed relation to the movement of said members, endless conveying means arranged in an inverted V and extending downwardly from said members on each side of and below a saddle conveyor, said conveying means being provided with grippers adapted to grip the edges of the signatures partially opened by said members and to maintain their grip thereon to positively move the signatures to complete the opening thereof and positively bring the opened signatures into deposited engagement with the saddle conveyor and then release the deposited signatures, means for moving said members and said conveying means, and means actuated in timed relation to the movement of said conveying means for effecting the aforesaid operations of said grippers.

10. In a. signature opening and saddle depositing mechanism unit of a signature collator; oppositely movable signature opening members located to receive therebetween the open edges of signatures coming from the transfer mechanism of the collator and adapted to separate said edges to open said signatures, endless conveying means operatively associated with said members and extending downwardly from said members on each side of and below a saddle, said conveying means being provided with means adapted to hold against said conveying means the separated edges of the signatures and to maintain the hold thereon to positively move the signatures downwardly and positively deposit the same in straddling engagement with the saddle and then release the deposited signatures, means for moving said members and conveying means, and means actuated in timed relation to the movement of said conveying means for effectin the aforesaid operations of said holding means.

11. In a signature opening and saddle depositing mechanism unit of a signature collator; oppositely movable signature opening members located to receive therebetween the open edges of signatures coming from the transfer mechanism of the collator, said members being provided with suction means acting to slightly spread apart the open edges of the signatures and with gripping means acting thereafter to grip the slightly spread apart edges of the signatures, said gripping means acting by the movement of said members to pull the signatures positively between the members to partly open the same and then to release said edges, means controlling said suction means and said gripping means in timed relation to the movement of said members, endless conveying means arranged in an inverted V and extending downwardly from said members on each side of and below a saddle conveyor, said conveying means being provided with grippers adapted to grip the edges of the signatures partially opened by the gripping means on said members and to maintain their grip thereon to positively move the signatures to complete the opening thereof and positively bring the opened signatures into deposited engagement with the saddle conveyor and then release the deposited signatures, means for moving said members and said conveying means, and means actuated in timed relation to the movement of said conveying means for effecting the aforesaid operations of said grippers.

ANDREW A. SPISAK.

REFERENCES CETED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 21,489 Kleineberg et al. June 25, 1940 1,028,708 Gitzendanner June 4, 1912 1,203,109 Gitzendanner Oct. 31, 1916 2,413,358 Kleineberg Dec. 31, 1946 

